Tempestuous Waters
by ProphecyChestnut
Summary: Betrayed by the one she believed was the love of her life, Bella finds solace in the arms of an unlikely marine protector. But are their worlds too different for their love to blossom? Sorry for the terrible summary, better than it sounds! R&R! Bella/Edward.
1. Chapter 1

**AN- my first fanfic! Hope you like it, please read and review! ProphecyChestnut x**

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Bella looked out towards the dark, stormy sea, desperately wishing that things had turned out differently. To her, the sea seemed the very embodiment of her feeling and utter despair; despair absolute. How could Jacob have done this to _her_? Everyone knew they'd been destined for each other since childhood; for theirs was a pairing akin to that of Romeo's with Juliet. It felt like time itself stopped when she walked into the kitchen to find him entangled in the strong, manly arms of Mike. Mike, of all people!

She sighed.

Clouds quivered on the horizon, mirroring her trembling, rosy lips and a solitary tear leaked from her glistening eye. As she was fumbling in her bag for a tissue, something out at sea caught her eye. Bella knew dolphins couldn't live this far north, but what else could it be? She thought about investigating further but a quick glance at her watch reminded her that it was time to get back to Charlie. He'd be worrying about her by now; over the past few weeks she had been forlorn at best.

Bella clambered into her battered, faded, '53 Chevy pick-up truck and struggled with the ignition until it roared reluctantly into life. Even driving her truck reminded Bella of the many hours she'd spent with Jacob while he fixed it up and she'd admired him not-so-secretly. The way his gloriously defined torso, for he was often shirtless, the way the muscles in his back rippled as he so often bent over the hood of the Chevy… The tribal tattoo on his bicep, with the secret sign of his hidden werewolf identity... They had been together for three wonderfully long years, a lifetime, seemingly never ending and he'd thrown it all away in a heartbeat.

A piercing screech interrupted her reverie, but it was too late. She'd lost control of her steering and the very storm she'd identified with moments earlier sought to drag her from the cliff road and into the tumultuous Pacific Ocean. She felt the truck lurch ominously and it was at this moment that she resigned herself to her fate.

As the water seeped into the cabin, its icy fingers took hold of her like the chilling grasp of death. To be torn from life so soon, when there was so much left for her to explore! How could she hope for a reunion with Jacob? And with her father, who had been through so much to look after her; to keep her safe?

Everything starts to become heavy, her limbs are turning to lead and Bella feels the last vestiges of life drain from her delicate, beautiful frame. Her glossy brown locks frame her lifeless face, and the last sight before her eyes convinces her that surely now it is over.

Strong arms wrap around her- but whose? Who else could survive such tempestuous waters apart from seemingly invincible Jacob?

But a last look at her saviour's face before she loses consciousness reveals it to be very different to that of her beloved. Such piercing amber eyes, such pale skin…a look of pure terror and fear troubling his features as the mysterious stranger pulled her effortlessly towards the light.

As her eyes drift closed, for what seems to be the last time, Bella catches a glimpse of scales and fins stemming from a death white, statuesque torso; the torso of what must be her guardian angel.

"It's ok, my darling," whispers the stranger. "I'll look after you."

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**AN-Soo...who do you think the mysterious stranger is? R&R!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi guys! Sorry for the edited chapter - I re-read the last chapter 2 and thought it was a bit of a hot mess tbh! Hope you like it. Please R&R :)**

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As Bella slowly regained consciousness, she felt cold water lapping gently at her feet and pulling her back to some kind of reality. She attempted to open her eyes to see the source of the melodious humming emanating from behind her, its slow, haunting notes resembling that of a long forgotten lullaby. She shivered as the cold air brushed against her porcelain arms- where was she?

Bella found herself gazing up at what appeared, upon inspection, to be stone forming the roof of a cave with a shining silver light piercing its way through. She pushed herself up out of her reclining pose to investigate what could create such a magical glow. She discovered that she had been placed on a small island in a water-filled cave illuminated by the soft moonlight reflecting off the shimmering depths of the water surrounding her perch. As she slowly became aware of her surroundings, she felt the unmistakable heat of eyes upon her. As she realised that she was not alone, she was startled by the sound of water moving behind her and the feeling of an ice-cold grip upon her shoulder. She jumped and struggled for air as she spun around to reveal the cave's other occupant.

In her surprise, she let out a breathy "oh" as she gazed upon what must be her guardian angel, for this surely could be no mere mortal. She was struck speechless by the ethereal quality of his beauty, belied by his solid strength suggested by the hand still resting on her shoulder and the toned muscles of his arms. She noticed the sculpted muscles of his torso descending into the murky water which made anything below his waist undistinguishable. So mesmerised was Bella by the moonlight dancing on his porcelain skin that she no longer remembered the icy chill of the water that had threatened to claim her life so short a time ago - the chill that no human could survive.

With embarrassment, she realised that she was gawking at her saviour and she timidly raised her own dark eyes to meet his, marvelling at their burning butterscotch colour. _They are golden brown, _she thought admiringly, _with a texture like sun. _His strong, defined features looked as though they could have been carved from stone, so flawless were they. His breath-taking appearance was completed by his glistening bronze locks, which he began to tousle by running his fingers nervously through it. At the mere sight of him she felt an attraction that she had not even felt throughout the many years with Jacob.

_How is this possible? _She despaired within her mind._ Surely Jacob was my one true love._ She looked again at the stranger and reconsidered. _Is there a chance that I could have been wrong about Jacob and there is a greater love waiting for me?_

"Who are you?" She whispered tentatively. "Are you an angel?"

"I could never be an angel." He replied, glancing into the distance with an expression on his face she could not decipher.

His tortured response left Bella confused. Who was this mysterious being across from her? Was it his visage she had seen before she slipped into unconsciousness?

"Then who are you? How did you save me?" She enquired.

"It's better for your sake if I don't answer, Bella." He mumbled.

She pouted slightly, it always worked on Jacob. "I don't understand. And how do you know my name?"

"I'm dangerous Bella, but I couldn't help watching you. Every time you and your mutt walked along that beach, I watched every step you took, every move you made, every time you kissed _him_." He made a disgusted face as he spat the last word. "I could not interfere but I watched over you in the hopes that I could protect you in some small way, be of some service to you. I will always be there for you even if you do not see me."

She was shocked. Surely such devotion could not exist. "Mutt? I don't know what you're talking about." She was desperately trying to protect Jacob's secret even after all he put her through. "You saw all that and yet I don't even know your name!"

He smirked as he answered her. "My name is Edward. And I think you know what I'm talking about. He's dangerous Bella, why did you spend so much time together alone?"

"Edward." She liked the way the name sounded coming from her rosy lips. "Jacob isn't dangerous, he's never hurt me."

"Then why were you crying on the beach? Why did you drive off the cliff?"

Her mind flashed back to that terrible day when she was sure her heart had been ripped from her chest, leaving nothing but a gaping hole behind. She had felt Jacob's absence keenly in the past weeks but that stabbing pain had been slowly easing and in Edward's presence, it was all but gone.

"I did not drive off that cliff! I lost control of my truck and I couldn't stop it." She replied indignantly. "I was on the beach because I wanted to get away from it all. My boy…_ex-_boyfriend was cheating on me, you see. With _Mike! _Of all people, why did it have to be _Mike_?" As she started sobbing into her hands, she felt marble arms reach around her in an attempt at comfort.

He was at a loss, this frail human was so different from his sisters who were so seemingly unbreakable, both physically and emotionally. He had to pull himself out of the water, despite his hesitance, in order to embrace her.

It was at that point that she looked up at him, overwhelmed at the sudden contact and the unnatural feel of his unyielding skin. As she looked at him, something glinted in the corner of her eye. It drew her eyes downwards to gaze, astonished, at the powerful emerald green tail that was where his legs ought to be. She met his eyes again, and saw the terrified glint that hid there, so concerned was he by her reaction.

"So that's how you saved me, how you survived the water? You're a…" Here she paused, unsure how to continue.

"Say it." He commanded.

"A…_mermaid._"


End file.
